Published 6:30 am, Tuesday, December 28, 2004

While the Astros and Yankees have been at the center of the Beltran talks this winter, the Mets have quietly set up their game plan.

Minaya has done his homework on the center fielder, spending part of Christmas Eve collecting an extensive scouting report on Beltran, according to a person with intimate knowledge of the situation.

Minaya was unavailable for comment, but an industry source confirmed that the Mets are in the process of setting up a meeting with Beltran and his agent, Scott Boras, for early next week. The Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers also remain in the hunt for Beltran, who is no longer listening to teams not willing to offer at least a seven-year deal.

"If there's going to be one or two more teams (competing for Beltran), bring them on," Astros owner Drayton McLane said via telephone from Birmingham, Ala.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the Astros are starting to get nervous about the possibility of being left without Beltran.

Beltran — whose price already has eclipsed the six-year, $96 million mark — met with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner a week ago in Tampa, Fla. He talked with McLane, general manager Tim Purpura and president of baseball operations Tal Smith last Wednesday in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Astros made what they described as a very substantial offer. The parties agreed to take the Christmas holiday off from negotiations.

Although the Astros have until Jan. 8 to re-sign Beltran or lose negotiating rights until May, McLane expects things to clear up this week.

"We told him we certainly needed an answer by the latter part of this week," McLane said.

Moreover, McLane says the Astros have received assurances that the Beltran situation will be cleared up before Jan. 8.

"Scott told Tim and Tal that it would not go to that Jan. 8 deadline," McLane said.

Since failing to re-sign slugging second baseman Jeff Kent, who rejected a one-year, $7 million contract offer with a $7 million option for 2006 on Dec. 7, the Astros essentially have focused on Beltran.

They have lost out on some of the outfielders they targeted in free agency and the trade market. "We don't want to be left out in the cold if we can't get Beltran," McLane said. "Moises Alou has moved on. Steve Finley has moved on."

Alou was right behind Beltran atop the Astros' wish list because he's an established run-producer and a former Astro, and seeing Alou sign with the San Francisco Giants was a sobering realization for McLane.

Beltran had 38 home runs, 104 RBIs and 42 stolen bases last season with the Astros and Kansas City Royals.

The five-tool switch-hitter raised his stock in the playoffs, hitting .435 with eight home runs, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases in 12 games while leading the Astros against the victorious Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

With Craig Biggio, 39, and Jeff Bagwell, 36, closing in on retirement, McLane has lobbied Beltran, 27, to become the next face of the Astros.

In McLane's perfect world, the Astros would have Beltran signed before Jan. 1.

Although the Mets have long been mentioned as potential suitors for Beltran, they hadn't been considered serious contenders until Beltran told a Puerto Rican newspaper about his interest in playing in Queens.

Minaya already surprised the baseball establishment by persuading fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez to leave the World Series champion Boston Red Sox and sign with the Mets.